A late nineteenth-century French Neoclassical style cranberry glass lidded urn (bonbonnière), featuring elegant gilt-bronze (ormolu) mounts. The vibrant pink hand-blown glass body of ovoid form is adorned with finely cast ormolu floral swags suspended from ribbons, characteristic of the Louis XVI revival style popular during the Belle Époque. The matching domed lid is surmounted by a clear glass ball finial with a gilded top, decorated with coordinating bronze floral garlands.

Condition Report & Provenance

• Artist / Maker: In the manner of Baccarat or Saint-Louis
• Period: Late 19th Century (circa 1880-1900)
• Origin: France
• Material / Technique: Hand-blown cranberry glass, cast and chased gilt-bronze (ormolu)
• Materials: glass, bronze, gold
• Markings: Unmarked; base features a polished pontil mark
• Decorative Details: Louis XVI style floral garlands, ribbon bows, and a gilded ball finial
• Colour & Surface: Deep cranberry pink glass, clear glass finial, matte and burnished gold gilding on bronze mounts
• Condition: Wear and rubbing to the gilding on the finial; minor air bubbles (seeds) inherent to the glass-making process; light scratches to the underside of the base consistent with age and use.

History

During the late nineteenth century, French glasshouses such as Baccarat and Saint-Louis frequently collaborated with bronze-casters to produce luxury decorative objects mounted in the Louis XVI revival style. These pieces, often executed in rich cranberry or ruby glass, appealed to the opulent tastes of the Belle Époque and were highly sought after for fashionable European and American interiors. The combination of finely chased ormolu swags and vibrant colored glass remains a hallmark of high-quality French decorative arts from this period.